


Not Friends, Not Enemies, Just Strangers with No Memories

by Crematosis



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Amnesia, Bad Flirting, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Lovers, Flirty Bucky, Flirty Tony, Humor, M/M, Minor Angst, Multi, Sexual Humor, Steve Rogers Is So Done, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:47:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28080390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crematosis/pseuds/Crematosis
Summary: Bucky and Tony don't get along. Ever since the incident in Siberia, there's been bad blood between them. But when they both end up with amnesia, their relationship gets a little more complicated. Steve's just doing his best to keep things from getting out of hand.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 59
Kudos: 256
Collections: Dreamwind's Favorite MCU/Marvel Fics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the Amnesia square for MCU Kink Bingo

Steve cared deeply for both Tony and Bucky. They were two of his closest friends and strong teammates he could trust to have his back in a fight.

But they just couldn’t get along.

It was totally understandable, but no less frustrating in the heat of battle, when all the two wanted to do was snark at each other and refuse to work together.

After a mission that had almost ended in civilian casualties because Bucky hadn’t asked for Tony’s help in evacuating people trapped on the burning sixth floor of an office building, insisting “he wouldn’t have bothered to show up anyway”, and the resulting shouting match back and forth, Fury had finally had enough.

The two were assigned a mission to protect a remote SHIELD base in the hills of West Virginia. A local woman who was obsessed with the occult, had somehow gotten her hands on a chitauri weapon and was using it to menace the base.

Nobody was in imminent danger. The base was heavily fortified and the agents saw her more of a nuisance than anything else. They just wanted her gone so they could actually leave the base for supply runs and spend their days off enjoying the scenery.

It was an easy mission that didn’t require the whole team so only Tony and Bucky were officially assigned to take care of it. Steve was only supposed to be an observer to “make sure the fuckers don’t kill each other”.

But it was really hard to stay hands-off when the two of them were just arguing and not taking care of the threat.

Tony had gotten on scene first and instead of reporting in what he saw from his vantage point, he flew in lazy circles around the woman, taunting her.

“You fucking idiot,” Bucky growled as he stormed out of the jet. “We need a plan before we engage her.”

“We don’t need a plan. She’s just a crazy old lady with a magic staff. If you don’t think you can take her, I can do this on my own.”

“Yeah, of course you want to do it all yourself. All you ever think about is yourself.”

“Both of you, quit the chatter on the comms and focus on the mission,” Steve snapped.

He was half tempted to take off in the jet and leave the two of them to fend for themselves. But Fury was probably right. They would just end up killing each other. 

If Steve didn’t kill them first.

“It’s not chatter. We’re discussing the mission,” Tony insisted. “And why your boy’s too scared to take on this frail old lady. Must be too afraid of killing her by accident. Or accidentally on purpose. We all know he’s got an itchy trigger finger.”

“That’s enough,” Steve said firmly.

“Of course you would take his side,” Tony muttered.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side. Both of you are behaving like overgrown children and everyone is sick and tired of it. Both of you need to get your shit together for the good of the team.”

“Language,” Tony said gleefully.

Steve decided not to dignify that with a response.

“Stop being a fuckwit and provide air support like you’re supposed to,” Bucky said. He gestured to the woman, who was gathering a ratty looking cape around her shoulders and striking a menacing pose with her glowing staff.

“Oh please, like she’s actually going to do any damage with that thing. She has the aim of a drunken-”

The beam of light hit Tony square in the chestplate, reflected off the arc reactor, and caught Bucky in the back of his thigh. His legs buckled beneath him and he went down in a heap. And he stayed down.

“Buck!” Steve shouted.

The woman cackled triumphantly. “And now to finish the job.” She advanced on Bucky, her staff raised overhead.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Steve threw his shield and the woman stumbled and fell forward. He was on her in seconds, tackling her to the ground and pinning her arms behind her back.

“This is Captain Rogers, reporting in. We have the threat neutralized, awaiting transport.” He paused, watching Bucky stir feebly. “Have the med bay prepared.”

Without her staff, the woman was just an ordinary civilian, according to the intel. So with her staff confiscated, Steve felt pretty confident he could just tie her to a tree and wait for SHIELD agents to come get her.

But he still eyed her warily as he crouched down at Bucky’s side.

There was a fist-sized hole burned through the right leg of Bucky’s uniform and the skin around it was red and blistered. But there wasn’t a hole in Bucky’s leg and that was a huge relief.

Bucky blinked a few times and stared up at Steve. “What happened? Am I dead?”

“No, you’re not dead. It’d take a heck of a lot more than that to take you out.”

“Are you sure? You kinda look like an angel. You’re just so pretty and shiny all over. And I swear you’ve got a halo.”

Steve sighed and moved out of the direct sunlight.

“Oh,” Bucky said with a disappointed frown.

“Sorry,” Steve said, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ve got to keep fighting the good fight on earth with the rest of us. Let me give you a hand up and we’ll head for the medics.” Bucky didn’t look seriously injured, but there was no telling what that weapon had done to him. At the very least, he had a concussion.

“Yeah, totally a good thing we’re both alive. What would I do with an angel anyway?” Bucky didn’t immediately take the hand Steve offered. Instead, he stared at Steve’s arm like it was foreign to him. “Oh, damn. You’re ripped. Way too ripped to be an angel. Hell, these medics of yours, they wear the same uniform? Because it’s really working for me.”

Steve felt a stab of alarm. Just how hard had Bucky hit his head? “Buck,” he said carefully. “You know this uniform. I wear it on every mission.”

“Do you? Thank fuck for that. You look so good in that thing, you should never take it off. Hey, missions you said? What kind of missions? Do you go on tour in that uniform? I bet you bring joy to everyone who gets to see all that hotness.”

Oh god. It was worse than he’d thought. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“You lookin’ a lot like an angel.”

“No, before that.”

Bucky shrugged.

Steve’s heart sank. “Nothing? Nothing at all.”

“Nope. I’m a blank slate.”

“And you’re not at all concerned about that?”

“Why should I be? I got a pretty boy like you looking after me. Anyone ever tell you your eyes are so blue you could swim in ‘em?”

“Uh, no. That uh…never came up.”

“Well, that’s a damn shame. They’re so pretty I could drown in ‘em.” Bucky cupped his hands around Steve’s face. “Could probably drown myself in the rest of you, too.”

Steve shuddered. “Bucky, no, this is really not the time for-”

“Captain!” Friday said frantically. “I can’t restore autopilot quickly enough and Sir is not responding.”

Steve jumped to his feet, but he was too far away to get there in time and he could only watch helplessly as Tony plummeted from the air and slammed into the ground. There was the sickening screech of metal as Tony finally came to rest against a tree.

Steve scrambled to his side. “Tony? Tony, can you hear me?”

“A robot? That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Steve tapped the emergency release button on the side of Tony’s helmet and the faceplate slid open. He was relieved to see no blood and no visible injuries.

Bucky recoiled. “Holy shit. There’s a hot guy inside the robot.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Just stand back and give him some air.”

“I’ll definitely give him some air,” Bucky said, crowding closer. “I can do mouth to mouth like a pro.”

Steve shoved him back. “Tony. Tony, are you alright?”

Tony groaned and opened one eye. “What’s going on? Why do I feel like something’s on top of me?” He fumbled with the armor's chestplate.

“No, no,” Steve said. “Don’t move until I make sure you’re not seriously injured. Friday, how’s he look?”

“Functions fully restored. Scanning now. Sir has sustained a fractured wrist, a mild chest contusion, and a concussion. No life threatening injuries.”

“Okay, good.” Steve reached for the full release catch. The armor parted down the middle and folded up neatly at Tony’s side.

“Holy shit!” Bucky said. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Steve sighed. “You really need to stop saying that.”

Tony gingerly pressed a hand against his chest. “That feels a little better. Got whatever that shit was off me.”

“I’m glad, but you’re still heading to medical. Don’t argue with me, please. This is not the time.”

“He’s going to medical, too?” Bucky asked delightedly. "Come on, doll. I’ll carry you.”

“No, you’re not,” Steve said. “You’re not doing any heavy lifting until we have you checked for internal injuries.”

“You’re breaking my heart, angel.”

Steve grimaced. “Don’t….don’t call me that. It’s weird. My name is Steve. Captain America in the field.”

“God bless America,” Bucky said fervently.

Steve squeezed his eyes shut. “Ignore him. C’mon, Tony, I’ll help you up.” It was a difficult process, trying to be mindful of Tony’s injuries, but he managed to get him to his feet and put an arm around him for support. “It’s just a short walk to the jet and we’ll start getting you patched up.”

The quinjet had basic first aid supplies. He’d be able to put ointment on Bucky’s burn and set Tony’s wrist. The major injuries would have to wait until they got back to base. But he was sure there were a few painkillers on board too and the two men would at least be more comfortable until they got treated.

Tony pointed to the suit. “What about that metal thing? Do we need it?”

“Metal thing?” Steve said incredulously. “You don’t recognize your own suit?”

No, of course he didn’t. He got hit with the same thing that hit Bucky. Steve had initially assumed the armor had protected Tony from the affects, but since it had fried his suit, the blast had to have been more powerful than initial estimates. It looked like they were dealing with something more than simple head trauma.

He yelped as he felt a sudden pinch on his rear. When he looked, the hand that Tony had around his waist for support had drifted lower. “Tony!”

“I had to check if I was dreaming,” Tony said. “I didn’t think an ass like that could be real. But it feels real enough.”

Bucky’s eyes went wide. “America’s got a nice ass too? Sounds like he’s the whole package. Speaking of package…” Bucky wiggled his fingers suggestively.

“You stick that hand down my pants and you’re going to end up with two metal arms,” Steve warned.

Bucky looked down at his hands. “Oh shit, I’m a cyborg! That’s awesome.”

Steve sighed heavily. It was probably a ten minute trip back to base, but it was going to be a very long ten minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve braced himself for more terrible flirting and groping in the confined space of the jet. He was prepared to tie the two of them into their seats if need be.

But they seemed more interested in checking each other out at the moment. It was very weird, but infinitely preferable to them trying to kill each other.

“Hey, bubble butt blondie, I’ve got a question for you.”

Bubble butt blondie. What had Steve’s life become?

“My name is Steve,” he said firmly.

“Right, Steve. So, quick question. Since I have this whole metal exoskeleton thing, am I related to hot metal arm guy?”

“No, you’re not related.”

“Thank god,” Bucky said. “I mean, I already kind of knew he had to be my husband and not my brother or anything like that. But it’s good to know for sure.”

“You’re also not married.”

“Boyfriends?”

“Nope.”

“Then what are we?”

“Uhh…acquaintances? Coworkers?”

“That’s it? Damn. We must not work together that often then.”

Steve sighed. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

Bucky slung an arm around Tony’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, doll. I look forward to getting to know you better and working more closely together in the future.”

The Quinjet’s comm system crackled to life. “This is Appalachia base med bay. We have received the injury report from Mr. Stark’s suit and see minor injuries. Does Mr. Barnes have similar injuries?”

“I don’t think he’s broken anything. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain.” Steve said. “He probably does have a concussion. But I think it’s a little more complicated than that. They were both hit by the chitauri weapon and they’re experiencing memory loss. I’d like a few tests run on them to see what we’re working with.”

“Agreed, Captain. We await your arrival.”

Tony got up from his seat and peered at the jet’s control panel. “Was that the doctor we’re seeing? She sounds hot.”

“That would be Dr. Elkin,” Steve said. “She spent twenty years as a front-line army medic before she retired to work for SHIELD. The last time she treated you, she made sure you were very aware she had a detailed knowledge of anatomy and was trained in several hundred ways to kill a man. So I wouldn’t try flirting with her.”

“I bet I could take her,” Bucky said. “I’ve got a metal arm and leather pants.” He put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry, doll. I’ll protect you.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Just sit back down and keep your seatbelts on until we land. And, no, Tony, you can’t sit in Bucky’s lap. Stay in your own seat.”

Luckily, they settled down for the rest of the flight, but as soon as Steve put down the landing gear, they scrambled to the windows to look out.

He didn’t know what they were so excited about. Appalachia base looked pretty nondescript at a first glance. It was mostly a research base so its unassuming appearance protected it from being invaded by villains all the time. But there were still plenty of agents stationed on base in case a battle did happen.

From the landing pad, Steve escorted the two of them to the main entrance. He inputted his code and waited for the facial recognition and retina scan to complete. Finally the doors slid open with a hydraulic hiss. 

Inside, Appalachia base was filled with state of the art equipment, some of it Tony’s design, although he didn’t seem to recognize any of it.

Bucky looked around with wide eyes. “Are we in the future?”

“Uh, yeah. Technically, I guess you are. Tony, no, don’t touch anything.”

“I didn’t touch anything breakable,” Tony said defensively. “Just this cool stone.”

“That ‘cool stone’ is a diamond. And from what I hear, it’s got something to do with lasers. So don’t touch it.”

Wordlessly, Tony set the diamond back on the workstation and scurried after Bucky.

Dr. Elkin met them right outside the med bay, wearing a white lab coat and a no-nonsense expression. She nodded to them. “Captain. Mr. Stark, Mr. Barnes. Let’s see what we are working with.”

“Is that us?” Tony asked. “Which one am I?”

Her lips pursed. “The memory loss is more severe than I expected.”

“Yeah, it seems like complete amnesia right now. That’s not common in a concussion, is it?”

“No, it’s very unusual. Partial memory loss can happen but it usually doesn’t last very long and it’s usually only related to the events of the injury. This…this is quite severe. We’ll have to run a few tests to see what else is going on.”

She pushed open the double doors and marched into the med bay. Most of the medics were lounging on the empty beds in the ward, playing cards with a SHIELD agent in head to toe kevlar.

“Wounded coming in,” Dr. Elkin bellowed. “Man your posts.”

The medics scrambled to comply as she barked orders. Steve was pleased to see that they moved quickly and efficiently. They probably weren’t used to more than a few accidental injuries, but they were still well-trained and prepared for emergencies.

Tony and Bucky were brought through to the back room where most of the medical equipment was set up. Dr. Elkin had her staff prepared to run a battery of tests, including a CAT scan and an MRI.

“No loose weapons in the scanners,” the harried technician reminded them. “We don’t want another incident.”

“Definitely not,” Steve agreed. At the North Shore base, Clint had gotten an MRI and he had forgotten about the arrowheads tucked in his pockets. They had gotten loose and damaged the machinery. Rumors said there were still arrowheads lodged in the machine.

He cleared his throat and turned to Bucky. “You’re going to have to leave your kit at the door.”

“What kit?”

“Uh, Tony calls it your murder kit. Your stash of weapons.”

Bucky glanced down at himself. “Oh, this thing.” He undid his gun holster and dropped it onto the table. “There you go.”

“Ah, actually, no. Unzip your tac vest.”

Bucky unzipped his vest partway and stopped. “Holy shit. That’s a lot of knives.”

“Yeah, better to take the whole thing off.” Steve piled the vest on top of the gun holster. “There’s a few zipped pockets on each pant leg.”

“If you wanted me naked, you just had to say the word,” Bucky said with a wink.

Steve scowled. “One on each thigh, one calf height. And if you roll up your pant legs, you should find a sheath strapped to each ankle. And I think you have one tucked in your boots. And there should be a holster on your back.”

Bucky stared at the growing pile of knives. “Why do I have this many weapons? Am I a bad guy?”

“No, of course not,” Steve assured him. “You’re an Avenger, like the rest of us. You’re a hero, Buck.”

“And Tony?”

“Tony is a hero, too. Both of you. Although sometimes you don’t seem to believe it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?"

“Nothing. Never mind. Let me have a look and make sure you’re all clear.” He nudged Bucky’s hands away from his sides and gave him a quick pat down. “Alright, i think we’re good. Go on in for your scan, Buck.”

Tony stepped up and held his arms out. “I’m ready to be frisked, hot stuff."

“No need. You’re not armed.”

Tony pouted. “How come I don’t have an arsenal of weapons?”

“You do. They’re all in your suit.”

“Can I put it back on and have you pat me down for weapons too?” 

“No,” Steve said. He shoved Tony on into the scan room and settled into the hallway to wait.

The tests took a little longer than they needed to since Tony and Bucky were busy flirting with all the medics. That was sadly, pretty much the normal state of affairs. Tony always hated visiting the med bay, but once there, he couldn’t resist hitting on everyone. But he was a surprisingly good patient, not remembering that he was usually stubborn about getting treated.

Finally, Dr. Elkin called Steve into her office to review the images from the scans. “The CAT scan didn’t pick up any skull fractures, not that I expected any. And the MRI isn’t showing severe brain damage.”

“But they have to have some kind of head trauma.”

“Concussions don’t usually show up on an MRI. And there are definite signs of concussion.” She tapped her clipboard. “Increased sensitivity to light, glassy eyes, trouble focusing, behavioral changes. The total amnesia is a baffling symptom and I suspect there may be more than a concussion at play, but there’s no physical trauma that I can see. I’d like to keep them for a day for observation, to make sure their condition doesn’t worsen. If not, they’re free to return home and see if a familiar setting will jog their memories. There’s really not much more I can do for them.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Steve said.

It wasn’t the news he was wanted to hear. He had hoped to walk back out of Appalachia base with Bucky and Tony back in their right minds. But hopefully the doctor was right and in another day or so, their memories would return.

Dr. Elkin led them back out into the hospital ward. She surveyed the rumpled beds critically and then scowled at the fully armored SHIELD agent who was still sprawled out on one of the beds, apparently playing a game of poker with himself now that the medics were busy.

“Agent Pool. Were you not assigned to field test that kevlar suit?”

“Haha, funny story. I was talking it over with Agent Whateverthefuck. You know, the guy about your height,” he said, with a hand on top of Bucky’s head. He did a double take. “It’s the Winter Soldier! Holy shit. I thought this place would be boring as hell. That bitch Becky in HR said this would be the perfect punishment for me because nothing important ever happens here. Ha, what does she know?”

“Who the hell is Becky?”

The agent gasped. “The famous catchphrase!”

Bucky frowned. “I have a catchphrase?"

Dr. Elkin’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Agent Pool?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

She hit him with her clipboard. “Go do it then. I don’t need you underfoot.”

He paused in the doorway. “So, this whole uniform thing chafes like a mother. You don’t have any lotion or anything?”

“Out!” The doctor demanded. She shook her head and gave Steve a long-suffering look. “We don’t see much action here and our agents have been going a little stir crazy. Not being able to leave the base for the last week has only exacerbated the problem.”

“Well, I’m glad we’ve got that problem taken care of for you. It’s just a shame we’ve created more work for you in the meantime.”

“Don’t be sorry. My men have gotten complacent with nothing to do. They could use the experience.” She clapped her hands. “Let’s go! We need fresh linens on these beds immediately. I won’t stand for this sloppiness in my med bay.” As the medics once again scrambled to comply, she turned back to Steve. “You’re welcome to have a bed made up in here as well. Or you could share quarters with some of the agents.”

Steve thought back to how flirty and handsy the two had been. “Yeah, I’ll take the crew quarters. Let me know if there’s any developments overnight.”


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, there was unfortunately no change in their condition.

“Don’t be too discouraged,” Dr. Elkin said. “There’s no anterograde amnesia. They remember making it to base. They remember my name, they remember theirs, and they remember yours. They’ve been asking for you, actually. The med bay is boring, they say.”

Steve smiled. “That is good news. It sounds like something they’d normally say.”

“Keep Mr. Stark away from electronics, at least for a few days. And nothing intellectually stimulating. Don’t push either of them to remember anything. Their memories will hopefully come back in due time, but their brains are very fragile right now and we don’t want to strain them. Once their concussion symptoms clear up, we can try some more aggressive measures to jog their memories, but for now, just let them be in a familiar environment. I’ll send them home with some painkillers in case they overdo it and give themselves a headache. They probably need painkillers anyway for their injuries.”

Not that they seemed like they were in any pain. But maybe once the post-battle adrenaline wore off they’d feel differently.

Dr. Elkin led them back into the ward. Tony and Bucky were sitting on the edge of their beds, dressed in hospital gowns with the SHIELD logo emblazoned on it. The medics had replaced Steve’s attempt at field dressing with fresh bandages, but they weren’t bandaged too heavily. It was just minor injuries, Steve reminded himself. The wounds were mostly mental.

He was a little concerned when he noticed Agent Pool was with them, apparently attempting to teach them how to play poker.

“I have to pay money if I want to draw a new card? That doesn’t sound right.” Tony said doubtfully.

“Oh yeah, lots of money. It’s totally a thing. Take out your wallet and then you can draw from the pile."

“Agent Pool,” Dr. Elkin said sternly. “I’ve already told you once not to waste time idling in the ward and disturbing my patients. Might I remind you that this assignment is meant as a punishment and you will remain on this base until you can prove yourself fit to return to the field?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Steve couldn’t see the agent’s eyes, but he was pretty sure he was rolling them. “You juggle land mines just the one time and suddenly you’re not fit for duty. You guys are really strict around here.”

“And you are a danger to the entire base. Now get out of the med bay before you find yourself injured enough to be admitted.”

“Promises, promises,” Agent Pool muttered.

Steve watched the agent walk away warily. He lowered his voice and leaned in closer to the doctor. “So, uh, is the whole thing about the landmines true?”

She pursed her lips. “I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s a very good thing they’re well enough to go home now. He’s a bad influence, that one. Who knows what other nonsense he’s tried to convince them of.”

Steve grimaced. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to correct too much misinformation. “Good luck reforming him. You might be stuck with him for quite awhile.”

“Yes, I’m afraid of that. All I can do is make his stay here as unpleasant as possible so he’ll have incentive to shape up and ship out of here.”

“You’re not talking about one of us are you?” Bucky asked. “Kicking us out because we overstayed our welcome?”

“No. But now that your injuries are treated, you certainly don’t need to stay here. Captain Rogers will take you back home.”

“Home? We don’t live here on base? We’re not agents?” Bucky’s shoulders sagged. “Fuck, that’s disappointing.”

“I don’t want to go home yet,” Tony said, clinging to Bucky’s side. “I’m not ready to say goodbye to this gorgeous face.”

Bucky cupped Tony’s face. “It won’t be good-bye forever. We’re coworkers, he said. This is just a temporary separation, babe.”

Steve hid his smile. “No need for good-byes. We’re all heading to the same place.”

“We live together?” Bucky high-fived Tony. “Score for us. We’re so lucky having all this eye candy to look at every day. Oh, please tell me we’re so ridiculously poor that we all have to share a single bed and huddle together for warmth.”

Steve stared at him, hardly daring to hope. “Buck, you actually remember that?”

“Holy shit. I was right?”

No, of course he wasn’t getting his memories back already. That was just too good to be true.

“Well, sort of. That used to be the way we lived, you and I. But that’s not the case anymore.”

“Yeah, it makes no sense we’re poor,” Tony said. “I mean, we have a fucking jet.”

“We may not have the jet. The shadowy government organization people have the jet.”

“Well, technically yes. But Tony’s done most of the upgrades on it. And anything he didn’t design himself, I’m sure he funded.”

Tony stroked his goatee thoughtfully. “Oh, so I’m the rich guy who showed up and saved you two from a life a poverty. I’m your sugar daddy then?”

“Hell yes,” Bucky said.

“Hell no,” Steve said.

Tony waggled his eyebrows. “It sure sounds like it. We live together, I buy you expensive toys. I’ve gotta be getting something out of this arrangement.”

“What you’re getting out of it is the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping save the world.”

Tony scrunched up his nose. “No, I don’t feel like I’m a really selfless person. There’s gotta be something more going on here.”

“There’s not. You and I are just friends."

“Friends with benefits?” Bucky asked hopefully.

“No. There’s nothing else going on between us.”

“Well, maybe there should be. Agent Pool said sex is an important part of a relationship. He and his girl had sex almost every day. I mean, they can’t anymore, but they did.”

Steve groaned. “Agent Pool can do what he likes in his own relationship. It has nothing to do with us.”

“Yes, it does. Agent Pool said something about happiness being fleeting and when you find what makes you happy, you just gotta grab onto it with both hands, wrap your legs around it, and climb it like a tree.”

“That is the most ridiculous…you know what? I’m not going to touch that one.” Steve cleared his throat. “Get dressed so we can head out soon as possible. We’ll step out for a few minutes to give you a little privacy.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

“Yeah,” Tony said, his voice going huskier. “We don’t mind.”

“Yeah, well, I do. Just get your clothes back on.” Steve backed out of the room as quickly as he could.

“I see you also have quite a handful to deal with,” Dr. Elkin said.

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’ll trade you. I’ll take Agent Pool back with me and you can deal with these two.”

“They may be idiots, but they’re your idiots,” the doctor said. “And I think with time, you’d find you miss them.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Steve waited another few minutes and then poked his head into the ward to see how they were getting on. To his dismay, they had both gotten out of their hospital gowns, but they hadn’t made a move to put their clothes back on. Instead, the two of them were tracing marks on each other’s bodies.

“Come on, you two,” Steve groaned. “We don’t have time for this.”

“But Steve, don’t you see all the scars he’s got?” Tony pointed to what was probably an old knife wound in Bucky’s chest. “He’s seen so much action and survived it all. He’s a fucking badass.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re both badasses. Now put your damn pants on. We want to get out of here.”

“My pants have a hole in them,” Bucky protested.

“I know. We’ll get you another pair when we get home. So just deal with it for now.”

“I don’t even have pants,” Tony pointed out.

“It’s a flight suit, Tony. The pants are built in. You two are just being willfully obtuse right now. You don’t want to stay in the med bay forever, do you?”

Bucky and Tony exchanged a glance. “To be continued,” Bucky said finally.

“I’ll be in the jet. Come find me when you’re dressed. If you’re not out here within the hour, I’m leaving without you.”

He probably wasn’t actually going to leave them there, as tempting as it was. It really wasn’t their fault they got distracted by everything when everything was just so new to them. But hopefully the threat would give them a little motivation.

In fact, fifteen minutes after Steve got the jet refueled for take-off, the two of them made their way onto the landing strip and trooped inside the jet.

“Glad to see you two could make it. Get settled in and we’ll be home in about half an hour.”

Bucky wriggled excitedly in his seat. “I can’t wait to see where we live. It’s gotta be a fucking mansion if you’re as rich as you seem. I’m sure we each have our own rooms.”

Steve snorted. “We each have our own floor.”

“What?” Tony spluttered. “We each have a floor? Just how rich am I?”

“Very,” Steve said.

Tony sat back in his seat, a stunned expression on his face. “Holy shit.”

As he made the final approach towards the tower, Steve pointed out the window. “This is Avengers’ Tower.”

Bucky and Tony plastered themselves to the window. “This is where we live? This place is huge!”

“I’ll give you the grand tour later. Right now, I think you two just need to settle in to your rooms, have some lunch, maybe take a nap or watch a movie.”

“You show us all this and expect us to just lock ourselves into our rooms? Fuck that.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking. Alright, I’ll give you a quick tour before you head up to your rooms.”

The two of them scrambled out of their seats as soon as the jet touched down onto the landing pad.

“Let’s go, doll.” Bucky scooped Tony into his arms bridal-style.

Steve rolled his eyes. “You don’t need to carry him. He’s got a broken arm and a couple bruises. He’s not an invalid.”

“So what?” Bucky snapped. “He’s rich as hell and he decided to build us this big fucking tower and take us all in. I think we should be showing him a little more gratitude for all the sacrifices he made. Now, where’s his bedroom so I can properly demonstrate just how grateful I am?”

“You’re not going to be thanking Tony with anything but your mouth.”

“Works for me,” Bucky said cheerfully.

Steve squeezed his eyes shut. Yeah, he had walked right into that one. “I mean verbally. With your words. We’re not indebted to him. We don’t need to do anything to pay him back or earn our keep. Just being an Avenger means you’ve done more than enough to earn your place here.”

“I still think we should be doing more for Tony after all he’s done for us.”

“If you want to cook him dinner or make him a card, go for it. But you don’t need to use your body to thank him. We’re not prostitutes, Buck."

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, I’m totally going to be able to cook him dinner when I can’t remember one single damn recipe and I don’t even know what he likes to eat.”

“I’m sure Tony’s favorite meals are saved on the fridge.” Steve led them into the kitchen and pointed to the flat screen on the front of the fridge. “With a couple taps, you can bring up any recipe you’ve saved and the fridge will let you know if you have enough ingredients to make it. Or you can just browse by what’s in stock right now and the fridge will let you know what recipes you can make with what you’ve got. Or you can be like Clint and just throw a jumble of things together until you come up with something.” He pulled the fridge open and gestured to the shelves. “Do you want any lunch before we continue our tour?”

Tony’s eyes went wide. “Why the fuck do we have so much food? We’re not going to eat all that in a month.”

“It’s not just the three of us. The rest of the Avengers live here too.”

“Oh man. I have a whole sugar family?”

“For the last time, Tony, nobody currently living in this Tower is sleeping with you. We’re friends, teammates, coworkers, nothing more.”

“For now,” Bucky said with a chuckle.

Steve frowned. “I don’t know what you think you’re going to be doing, but you’re not going to be doing it. You have a concussion. No strenuous activity, no alcohol, no bright lights. You’re going to just take it easy for a few days and rest.”

“But that’s so boring. We’re not bed bound. Why do we have to stay in our rooms?”

“You don’t have to stay in your rooms. You can come down to the kitchen for snack any time you want. And you can hang out in the den if you don’t want to be cooped up in your rooms. The couches are very comfortable and the TV is very nice, but you shouldn’t be spending too much time in front of the screen right now.”

“Pfft, like I need TV when I have all the eye candy I need right here. isn’t that right, babe?” Tony patted Bucky’s cheek. “Let’s go find these comfy couches and get horizontal.”

“You shouldn’t-”

“Shouldn’t be doing any strenuous activity. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But is it really strenuous activity if I just lie there and take it?"

“Neither of you should be doing any strenuous activity. And uh, pretty sure sex is more than just lying there. You’ll understand in a few days when it all comes back to you.”

“If you say so. But fine, all Bucky and I will do right now is cuddle. Cuddling is still on the approved activity list, right?”

“Absolutely. At this time of day, everyone should still be down in the…oh.”

Clint and Natasha were sitting side by side, going over one of their mission reports.

Steve took a step back. “Ah, let’s not go in there right now. Don’t want to disturb them when they’re doing paperwork.”

“Hey, beautiful people,” Tony said with a wave. “We’ll talk later. Bucky, take me up to my room.”

“You got it, doll.”

Natasha lowered her papers and stared. “What the hell?”

“Don’t ask,” Steve said wearily.

“Are they drunk?”

“Ha, if only it were that easy. They both have a concussion and some hopefully temporary memory loss.”

Clint snorted. “So they’ve forgotten they hate each other. Oh, this is going to be a fun one.”

“You and I have a very different definition of fun."


	4. Chapter 4

Since there was no way Clint was going to focus on his mission report when there were more exciting things happening, Steve went ahead and called a team meeting to inform everyone of Bucky and Tony’s condition. Until their concussions cleared up, they were naturally exempt from all training sessions and all missions and everyone else would have to plan their schedules around the two of them being out of commission for at least a week.

Thor and Bruce showed up for the meeting in record time. 

“So, Friday says something went wrong on Tony and Bucky’s mission.” Bruce sighed. “Which of them tried to kill the other?”

“Neither one of them got that far. Speaking of far…” Steve glanced back into the hallway. “Friday, where did Bucky and Tony get off to?”

“They have entered the first floor bathroom, Captain.”

“Together? Oh god.” He hoped they hadn’t stripped naked and started checking each other out again.

“Nothing nefarious is going on. They have been distracted by the automatic sink faucet.”

Clint snorted.

“So, they’re even bigger children than usual,” Natasha said. “That’s just fantastic.”

Steve sighed. “Can you get them to head back this way, please?”

“Negative, Captain. They have seen their reflections in the mirror and they say they are busy right now.”

Clint howled. “Even without a memory, Stark’s still a vain son of a bitch.”

Steve frowned. “I wouldn’t call it vanity. They have no idea who they are right now and any bit of information about themselves must be thrilling. Just knowing what they look like has to make them feel a lot more sure of themselves. If I was in their shoes right now, I’d want to have a look at my reflection too.”

“Having a look is one thing. Refusing to come out of the bathroom because you want to keep checking yourself out is another.”

“They’ve only been in there for a few minutes. I’d give them a little more time before we decide they’re refusing to come out.”

“They ask you to give them thirty minutes,” Friday reported.

“Oh, for chrissakes,” Steve groaned. “Nobody needs to check out their reflection for thirty minutes.”

“Told ya,” Clint said. “Vain as hell.”

Steve suspected things were going to get quite a little more hands on in those thirty minutes and he wanted to stop things before it got that far.

Luckily, when he found them, the bathroom door was open and nobody had gotten naked.

“Alright, you two,” Steve said sternly. “We’re having a team meeting and you’re part of the team. You can’t spend all day looking in the mirror.”

“But I had no idea I was this hot,” Tony said excitedly. “I thought maybe you kept turning me down because even though I was rich, I just wasn’t attractive enough.”

“How can you have ever thought that, doll?” Bucky kissed the back of Tony’s hand. “I told you you were beautiful.”

“I never felt like I was ugly, maybe just not hot enough for Steve’s standards. But now I know that’s ridiculous. Because just look at me.” Tony posed in front of the mirror, stroking his goatee. “Maybe the real problem is my age. I’m clearly a few years older than both of you. Probably more like a decade older.”

“Age is just a number. You’re still a fox, babe.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “It’s not your appearance and it’s not your age. The problem is your memory loss.”

“Lots of people lose their memories when they get older. It’s totally normal.”

“This is not normal memory loss and you’re going to get your memories back one day. We’re not going to do anything you’ll regret once you know better.”

“That sounds like a boring way to live life, but it’s clearly working for you.” Tony patted Steve’s cheek. “Staying out of trouble to keep this pretty face safe.”

“If only the two of you thought the same way. Come on, everyone’s waiting for us in the den.” He herded the two of them along, not letting them get distracted by anything along the way. “Alright, here we are. Tony, Bucky, this is the rest of the core Avengers team."

Tony’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit, is this real life? How are all of you so hot? There’s no way all you attractive people got to be secret agents. I’m rich. I must’ve hired a bunch of people to pretend to be agents so I could join the team and fulfill some lifelong dream of fighting crime.”

Natasha’s eyebrows went up. “I’ve heard that take before, but not from Stark.”

“It makes sense,” Tony insisted. He pointed at Natasha. “You’re the team’s hot chick because every good team needs one. I bet you kick ass but I probably hired you just for the looks alone.”

“Surprisingly accurate assessment,” Natasha said.

He pointed at Clint. “You look like a good time. I bet we’ve gotten into some pretty kinky, athletic kind of shit.”

“Hell no,” Clint said. “You’re not my type.”

“Your loss,” Tony said with a shrug. He pointed at Thor. “Holy shit, you’re built like a linebacker. I bet you could benchpress Steve with one hand.”

“I have occasionally bested the captain in combat, yes,” Thor said with a smile.

Tony frowned. “Why do you talk like that?”

“Tony,” Steve said with a sigh. “You can’t just ask people why they talk a certain way. It’s rude.”

“Nobody else finds it the least bit weird he talks in Ye Olde English?”

“I come from the warrior culture of Asgard. It is the way we all speak. To us, your speech would sound odd.”

“He’s from a different planet,” Bruce added.

“Holy shit. A real-life space alien. And you, what’s your deal, Mr. Sexy Glasses Guy?”

Bruce frowned. “Uhh, it’s a little hard to explain. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ring any bells?”

“So you turn into a monster some of the time? Damn. I didn’t realize everyone on this team was so interesting. You’re not all just pretty faces. Well, maybe except for Steve who has a fantastic ass and a face to match.”

“Excuse me, what?”

Clint cackled. “Oh man, this is the greatest. When you said memory loss, you really weren’t kidding.”

Steve put his hands on his hips. “Would I be kidding about something like this?”

“This is indeed a severe case,” Thor said. “How has this happened?”

“They were both hit with that chitauri weapon they were supposed to confiscate. They both hit their heads as well, so I’m not sure all of it can be blamed on the weapon. But a good deal of it, for sure.”

Thor stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I will consult with my people and find out if we have come across anything similar in our eons of warfare. I shall return in a few days with any hope.”

“And I’ll set up a dialogue with SHIELD scientists to see if we can get research started on this weapon,” Natasha said. She rose from the couch and scrolled through her phone. “And somebody needs to notify Fury about this. Might as well be me.”

Steve grimaced. “Thanks, Nat. Way to take one for the team.”

“I should be in contact with SHIELD too,” Bruce said. “I’m not a medical doctor, but I know more than the rest of you. Someone should keep track of their symptoms and keep the medical staff updated.”

Steve nodded. “Absolutely.”

“And I’ll go make myself some popcorn so I have something to do while you all talk about me,” Bucky said, turning and marching out of the den.

“Bucky, no. You’re going to get lost,” Steve protested.

“Fear not, Captain. I will direct him,” Friday said.

“Sounds like everyone else has this covered,” Clint said with a shrug. “I’ll just stay here then.”

“Sounds good to me,” Tony said. “You all do whatever you’re doing and Bucky and I can watch movies with Clint.”

“Clint’s got better things to do than entertain you two.”

Clint stretched out across the couch and kicked his feet up. “Nah, don’t worry about it. They can stay here and watch movies with me all day. I’ll show them some of the classics.”

“They’re not supposed to strain themselves,” Steve warned. “Nothing that will make them think too hard.”

“None of these movies will make you think. I’ve got all the mindless entertainment you could ever want. Friday, bring up the However-The Fuck-Many-Headed Shark Attack movies.”

“I have records of a 2-Headed, 3-Headed, 5-Headed, 6-Headed, and 7-Headed Shark Attack movie.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Tony leaned forward and stared at the screen. “How many heads?

Bucky backtracked into the living room. “We’re watching porn? Who’s giving head?”

“Nobody, Buck. These are shark movies.”

Bucky wrinkled his nose. “Okay, you’re against us fucking, but you own movies where sharks give each other head. That seems a little weird.”

“They’re not my movies. They’re Clint’s.”

“Don’t you make me out to be some kind of pervert,” Clint huffed. “There’s no shark sex in these goddamn movies. Just good old fashioned gore and explosions. Now sit your asses down and let me educate you on the shark attack genre.”

“Clint, no. Please don’t try to convince them your ridiculous movies are some kind of documentary. They’re very impressionable right now and I don’t want you messing with their heads.”

“I’m not trying to convince them it’s real. You hear that, kids? These shark attack movies are fictional. That means the shit on screen never actually happened.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “I know what fiction is. I’m not an idiot.”

Clint spread his hands. “See? They’re going to be just fine. You go do whatever important stuff you’ve got going on and I’ll keep ‘em occupied for awhile."

Steve still had his doubts about leaving the two of them alone with Clint, but admittedly, the two were wearing on his patience and he knew he couldn’t babysit them all day.

Steve’s first order of business was calling Pepper. She was a little dubious about the whole story, believing it was a convenient excuse for Tony to get out of paperwork, but she agreed not to pester Tony about work for the next week. Next, Steve contacted Sam, Rhodey, Wanda, and Vision to let them know they were on call in case the team needed their help.

There wasn’t much more Steve could do at the moment, so he went ahead and started working on dinner. Spaghetti was one of the meals both Bucky and Tony liked and it was pretty easy to put together.

When he was done, he headed back to the den to check up on everyone. Clint was still sprawled out across the couch, watching a western with no sound and some subtitles. Bucky and Tony were curled up together on the loveseat. Bucky was asleep sitting up, his head lolled over the armrest and Tony was plastered to his front, snoring into Bucky’s shoulder. It didn’t look like a comfortable way to sleep.

“When did this happen?”

Clint glanced over. “They knocked out halfway through 5-Headed Shark Attack, which is a shame, because I would have really loved to see them lose their shit when the shark spontaneously grew an extra head out of its tail.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll survive without ever seeing that.”

Clint shrugged. “It was interesting watching sci-fi with Tony with no memories. Usually he bitches about all the scientific inaccuracies and goes on and on about how unrealistic it all is. Yeah, I know it’s unrealistic. That’s the point. But he was crazy impressed with everything. I’m not sure how I feel about that. But anyway, I definitely have blackmail material on them for the next decade. They’re just so fucking gone on each other and it’s hilarious.”

Steve rolled his eyes. Of course Clint would find it all hilarious. He didn’t have to deal with all the flirting. He just got to enjoy the show. Oh well, Steve would just have to suck it up and make sure the idiots took care of themselves.

He gently touched Bucky’s shoulder. “Hey, Buck. Wake up.”

Bucky jerked upright. “Did they get the shark?”

Steve smiled. “Yeah, Buck, they got the shark. Happy endings all around.”

Bucky melted back into the cushions. “Oh good. I was so sure the entire college class would get eaten. Or maybe it was the honeymooners this time.” He frowned. “The movies kind of blended together a little.”

“I’m not surprised. They’re not exactly masterpieces of cinematography.”

“Fuck you,” Clint muttered. “These are classic bad movies. The best of the worst.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “The team’s having spaghetti for dinner if you want to join us. Or I’ll show you up to your room for the night.”

“Can Tony come sleep with me?”

“That’s not a good idea right now, especially with your injuries. You both tend to have nightmares and I don’t want you hurting each other.”

“We’re sleeping together just fine right now,” Bucky pointed out.

“You got very lucky this time. Trust me.”

Bucky stared at him a long moment. “Alright. I trust you.” He nudged Tony awake. “Come on, sweetness. Steve’s promised us pasta and I think I’m getting hungry.”

Tony licked his lips. “Is he offering us meatballs too? Because I could sure go for that.”

“Not a euphemism,” Steve said. “Come join us in the kitchen if you’re actually hungry. If not, Friday will show you to your beds.”


	5. Chapter 5

Clint, of course, found Tony’s thinly veiled sexual innuendos absolutely hilarious. He snickered all through dinner as Tony talked about how big Steve’s meatballs were, how he just couldn’t get enough of them and wanted them in his mouth all the time. And because Clint was encouraging the nonsense, Tony didn’t listen to Steve’s demands to shut up and eat or Bruce’s pleas to stop ruining dinner.

Natasha finally leaned across the table and advised Tony that if he didn’t stop going on about meatballs, she was going to chop his balls off and force them down his throat.

There was blessed silence after that.

Steve probably could have made the exact same threat and Tony wouldn’t have taken him seriously. He just had to accept that Natasha was scarier than he was and she could get things done where he couldn’t.

Since it was a Friday night, after dinner, the Avengers typically gathered in the den for movie night. Clint suggested they all watch the rest of the terrible series of shark movies, but it was clear that Tony and Bucky were barely keeping their eyes open.

“The rest of you can watch the movies if you want,” Steve said. “But I should get these two up to bed.”

“I’m not tired,” Tony scoffed.

“Yes, you are. You’re just so used to powering through the exhaustion that you can’t even recognize it anymore.”

“That’s nonsense baloney.” Tony threw himself down on the couch. “We have, what, two movies to go? I’m ready.”

“I’m not,” Bucky said. He eyed the couch with contempt. “I thought these things were supposed to be comfy as hell, but I have a crick in my neck from earlier.”

“You have a very comfortable bed,” Bruce said. “I’ll show you up to your floor and help you find your room.”

Bucky and Bruce had never been the best of friends, but Bruce was probably glad for an excuse to escape the shark films.

“I’ll come with you,” Tony said eagerly.

“No, you said you weren’t tired,” Steve reminded him. “You said you wanted to watch the rest of the series.” He smiled at Bruce and Bucky. “Have a good night, Buck. I’ll see you in the morning. Go ahead and start the movie, Clint.”

Tony picked at a piece of fuzz on the couch. “Okay, so I don’t really want to watch the next shark movie,” he admitted.

“Good,” Steve said. He didn’t want to watch the shark movie either. “I’ll take you up to your room then.”

He had maybe seen Tony’s bedroom once in the entire time he had lived in the tower. Tony didn’t usually like having people on his private floor. But Steve could find his way just fine. It was hard to miss the big penthouse apartment.

“This is mine?” Tony said with wide-eyed wonder. “Hot damn, I am rich.”

“Of course it’s yours,” Steve said with a chuckle. The Iron Man painting Steve had made him for a Christmas present was hung up on a prominent spot on the wall.

“Oh damn, look at the size of this bed,” Tony said with an appreciative whistle. “Looks like it was meant to share with somebody.”

“I’m sure it was,” Steve said. “And I’m sure you shared it with several somebodies. But not tonight. Tonight you’re just going to sleep and let your mind heal.”

“My mind can heal just as well with Bucky tucked in next to me. Where’s the harm in that?”

“You two need to stay away from each other for a little bit. He’s got his mind in the gutter and you’re only too willing to jump in and join him.”

“Oh, come on,” Tony said. “Bucky doesn’t seem like such a bad guy. I wouldn’t mind going on a date and getting to know him a little better.”

“That’s the problem,” Steve said. “You can’t get to know him when he doesn’t even know himself.”

Tony shrugged. “I mean, there’s getting to know someone and then there’s getting to know them on a more personal level.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“No,” Steve said firmly. “Absolutely not.”

“What, am I not the type to fuck on a first date?”

Steve sighed. “You probably are, but that’s not the point. You and Bucky can’t have sex right now. Not until all your memories come back.”

“Don’t be such a spoilsport.This is a once in a lifetime experience. I have so much I need to learn about myself and why not learn about Bucky at the same time? Do I top, do I bottom? Do I like to suck dick? Am I secretly or not so secretly a kinky motherfucker?” He looked at Steve expectantly.

Steve felt his ears burning “Don’t look at me,” he mumbled. “I keep out of your sex life.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You and I never had a thing?”

“Definitely not.”

“Damn. I need to step up my game.”

“The only thing you need to do right now is get some sleep.”

“You sure you don’t want to join me?” Tony sprawled out across the bed and patted the empty spot beside him. “I’ve got enough room for both you and Bucky eventually.”

“Okay, look, I know it’s a California King and it seems built for threesomes and moresomes and maybe that’s why you bought it back in the day. But these days, you suffer from nightmares and you need all that space so you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else when you’re thrashing around.”

Tony frowned. “Why would I have nightmares? I’m rich as fuck and I have a literal army of badasses living in my tower. What would I possibly be afraid of?”

“You’re a superhero,” Steve said. “You’ve seen some things. We all have. And nightmares kind of come with the territory. From what Friday’s told me, you tend to dream of the team dying in front of you and you blame yourself for not being there to save them.”

Tony frowned. “What about you?”

“I have nightmares too. I’ve dreamed of Bucky falling to his death more times than I can count.”

“But he’s here and he’s alive.”

“And I remind myself of that every day.” He patted Tony’s shoulder. “I hope you won’t have nightmares. It might be the one good thing that’s come out of this memory loss: being unable to remember all the traumatic events of your past. But if you do have nightmares and need to talk, Friday is always available or you can have her wake one of us.”

“I’d rather have Bucky, but I guess I’ll make do for now,” Tony said with a put-upon sigh. He burrowed under the covers. “Oh my god. What is the thread count on these sheets? Fuck yeah. Being rich is awesome.”

Steve rolled his eyes as he backed out of the bedroom. “Keep an eye on him, Friday. I don’t want him getting lost wandering the tower in the middle of the night.”

“Of course, Captain. I never take my eyes off him.”

When Steve returned to the den, Natasha and Clint were watching one of the shark movies. Or, more accurately, the shark movie was playing while they argued over the subtitles. Steve was already confused by the bizarre action on-screen. The rapid shift from Russian to Spanish to Japanese subtitles was only making it worse.

He glanced around. “Has Bruce come back yet?”

Natasha shook her head. “I don’t think he’s coming back."

Clint sat up straight with a look of alarm. “Do you think we need to go rescue him from Bucky? What if Bucky saw that as his chance to get Bruce alone and have his way with him?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Bucky’s not going to jump Bruce.”

“How do you know that?"

“First of all, Bucky is exhausted. The second he lays down on that bed, he’s going to pass out. Secondly, Bucky isn’t even interested in Bruce. He wants Tony and me. Bruce is safe.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Clint said. “Tony thinks every single person in this tower is hot. And I noticed Bucky wasn’t arguing with him. He probably thinks the same way.”

“Thinking everyone is hot isn’t the same as wanting to act on that.” As weird as it was to have Tony and Bucky drooling over him and each other, it felt even weirder to imagine them really flirting with anyone else. “And anyway, they may not have much of a brain to mouth filter right now, but they’re still perfectly capable of restraining themselves. They’ve been talking a lot about what they want to do, but because I keep telling them no, they’re not trying to force themselves on me.”

Natasha pressed the remote, muting the screams of the people being devoured by the shark. “Friday, where is Bruce right now?”

“Dr. Banner is currently downstairs in his lab.”

“How dare he,” Clint muttered. “He’s skipping out on movie night.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Gee, I wonder why.”


	6. Chapter 6

Steve liked being the first one up in the morning. He was usually able to grab a cup of coffee and go for a run before anyone else was up. It was a rare moment of peace and quiet in the tower and Steve cherished it.

But this morning, the kitchen wasn’t empty. Tony was sitting at the kitchen counter, glaring at the coffee maker like it had personally offended him.

Tony was never up this early. Well, okay, sometimes Steve caught glimpses of Tony at 5 a.m. when the exhausted genius dragged himself into the kitchen for a quick infusion of caffeine before getting back to work.

But Steve had never seen Tony when he first woke up. Tony usually didn’t bother eating breakfast. Steve saw him in the mornings sometimes when he was fully dressed, stopping in the kitchen just long enough to grab coffee as he rushed out the door to work.

This was Tony not looking pulled together at all. He was wearing loose-fitting grey sweat pants and a bright red t-shirt, his hair mussed and the imprint of his pillow against his face.

And it was frankly kind of adorable.

“Coffee,” Tony whined, reaching an imploring hand towards the coffee maker.

“You could always go back to bed if you’re still tired. You have the whole week off from work. Sleep as much as you need.” And a little extra rest would probably do Tony a lot of good. He was probably operating at such a massive sleep deficit that he could sleep for an entire week and still not be caught up.

“Fuck that,” Tony grumbled. “The more I sleep, the less time I have with Bucky.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed. Oh, that was behavior he was going to have to nip in the bud right now. “You can’t just go without sleep, Tony. You need more sleep while you’re healing.”

“But Bucky-”

“Is still asleep. So you being awake and grumpy right now is pointless.”

“I’m waiting for him,” Tony insisted. “He could wake up at any minute.”

Steve sighed. “Friday, will you wake Tony when Bucky gets up?”

“Certainly, Captain.”

“There. No excuses. Go back to sleep until he’s up.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “You’re so bossy. It would be sexy if you were bossy in bed, but bossy in the kitchen is lame.”

Unfortunately, Bucky woke up just an hour later, as Steve was making his usual post-run breakfast of bacon and eggs. He wished Tony would have gotten more rest. He wished both of them had. It was a rare time in their lives when they could just relax and sleep in and neither of them were taking advantage of the opportunity.

Still, Tony looked a lot more alert and happier, practically skipping into the kitchen hand in hand with Bucky. That single hour of sleep had actually done him a lot of good. Probably because his body was so used to surviving on so little sleep. And wasn’t that a sad thought?

“Morning, Stevie,” Bucky said as he slid into a spot at the counter. “You’re up early.”

“I’ve got a lot to do today,” Steve said. “Sparring with Natasha and Clint, the weekly shopping trip for the team, and a meeting with our charity coordinator.”

“I’ve got big plans, too,” Bucky said. He pointed to his t-shirt. It proclaimed, “I’m Fucking Tony Stark. Deal With It,” in big, bold letters.

Steve groaned. He should have noticed the shirt fit just a little too tightly to be one of Bucky’s. “That’s not…Clint bought that shirt for Tony.”

“That makes no sense,” Bucky said. “Tony’s not fucking himself.”

“If Captain Cockblock has his way, I may have to,” Tony muttered.

Bucky laid a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Not going to happen, sugar. Not while I’m here. Unless you wanna out on a show for me. I ain’t turning down the chance to watch.” He winked at Tony.

“Buck,” Steve said warningly.

Bucky waved him off. ‘Obviously, Tony’s a big fucking deal. He’s rich as hell, hot as hell, smart as hell. Anyone dating him would be hella proud and want to brag to the whole world that they’re nailing this fine piece of ass.”

“Again, that’s not what this shirt means. It’s for Tony to brag about how awesome he is, not for anyone else bragging about how they’ve gotten in his pants. And Tony doesn’t like when people use him for clout. It’s probably why he hasn’t been in a serious relationship for awhile.”

“Oh really?” Bucky raised an eyebrow. “You been waitin’ for me, doll?”

Tony grinned. “I guess so. And I think I’ve been waiting long enough.” He leaned in towards Bucky.

Steve put up a hand between them. “And waiting another week isn’t going to kill you.”

“But Tony’s gone without sex for so long already. How can you deny him like that?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Nobody has ever died from not having sex. And I said he hasn’t been in a serious relationship. I’m sure he’s had a few one night stands here and there and if he was really desperate, he has hands, just like the rest of us.”

Tony and Bucky exchanged a heated glance and then they were both crowding in on him. “So, you’re including yourself in that ‘us’, aren’t you?”

Steve flushed. “I’m not discussing this kind of thing with you.”

“Why not?” Bucky lowered his eyelashes. “We don’t remember what to do. I think we need a demonstration from an expert.”

Steve crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t believe for one second that you two don’t know how to masturbate.”

“I remember the basics,” Tony said with a shrug. “But if I’m touching myself, I want to give myself the world class experience. I bet you have plenty of tips and tricks we could both use.”

“And what makes you think I know any masturbation tips?”

“Why are we talking about masturbation over breakfast?” Bruce grumbled. He dragged himself over to the coffeemaker.

“Sorry, Bruce,” Steve said with a grimace. “Didn’t think anybody else was up yet.”

Bruce grunted. “Had a conference call scheduled with Dr. Elkin and Dr. Ryan, the new head of Triskellion’s med bay, a few minutes ago.” 

“What’d they say? Any news?”

Bruce shrugged. “We all agreed it seems to be a very minor concussion and they’ll probably heal from that by the end of the week.”

“What about the memory loss?”

Bruce took a sip of his coffee and looked at his mug contemplatively. “This is a different flavor.”

“It’s elderberry coffee,” Steve said. “It was Thor’s turn to do the shopping.”

Bruce nodded. “It’s not bad. Actually pretty good.”

Tony grabbed a mug and held it across the counter. “Pour me some of the good stuff, Brucie.”

“Caffeine isn’t a good idea right now,” Bruce cautioned. “It’ll slow your recovery and make you prone to headaches.”

“That’s not fair,” Tony whined. “No sex, no alcohol, no caffeine. What else is there to live for?”

“Plenty of things,” Steve said. “We’ll give you a more thorough tour of the tower later today and you can see all the other great things life has to offer.”

“But you’re busy today.”

“Not all day,” Steve said. “I have time to take you around a little in between my assignments. And while I’m gone, someone else can take over as tour guide.”

“I’ll show them around the labs,” Bruce volunteered. “It might not do much for Bucky, but it’s possible that seeing some of his creations will jog Tony’s memory a bit.”

“Bucky’d probably get more out a visit down to the gym or the weapons vault, maybe even a run through the simulation room. But he’s in no condition for sparring right now, not even against imaginary enemies.”

“And we need to keep that room open so I can kick your ass in it later,” Natasha said with a laugh. She halted in the doorway. “Oh god, they’re wearing each other’s clothes,” she said with a heavy sigh.

Steve stared at Tony. He was no longer wearing the bright red t-shirt he had had on earlier. Now he was sporting Bucky’s cranberry-colored polo shirt that had gotten shrunk in the wash one time when Tony had done laundry. The two of them had had a major squabble over it, with Bucky accusing Tony of doing it on purpose and Tony insisting it was an accident. The shirt had become such a symbol of the problems between the two of them. Bucky had continued wearing it and making passive aggressive comments about how it didn’t fit like it used to and Tony started taking out all the Avengers’ laundry-related expenses from Bucky’s stipend. With all the fraught feelings around the stupid shirt, Steve couldn’t believe he hadn’t immediately noticed.

Out of all of Bucky’s shirts, why had Tony gone and picked that one? Had he regained a sliver of his memories to know it meant something important?

“So, let me get this straight,” Natasha said. “The two of you make it into each other’s bedrooms and instead of fucking each other silly, you just swap shirts.”

Bucky and Tony exchanged a wide-eyed look like that hadn’t even occurred to them.

“We actually didn’t make it to Tony’s bedroom,” Bucky admitted. “Tony was waiting right outside my door when I got up. He thought the first shirt I picked wasn’t very flattering so he barged in to look through my closet and that’s when I saw the absolutely fucking fantastic shirt he was wearing and I needed it.”

“And somehow that didn’t lead to a fuckfest either,” Natasha said. “I’m very surprised.”

“Don’t encourage them,” Steve snapped.

“We definitely should have taken the advantage of the opportunity,” Bucky said with a rueful smile. “But my first thought was how Steve would react.”

“And I’m sure Steve reacted very positively,” she said with a smirk.

“Eat your breakfast,” Steve said testily. “I’m due to kick your ass sparring.”


	7. Chapter 7

Steve gulped his entire water bottle like a dying man. Natasha had really worked him hard. He had been a little distracted, wondering how Bucky and Tony were doing on their tour and she had taken full advantage of it. He was sore all over and still trying to catch his breath.

She sat on the edge of the counter, smiling serenely as she delicately sipped her water. “Best ten out of twelve?”

“I think you should quit while you’re ahead.”

“And I think you just don’t want to lose again.”

Tony bounded into the kitchen. “Guess what, everyone? I’m so fucking rich, I have my own robot army.”

“Oh please tell me you didn’t activate anything,” Natasha said. “We really don’t need you amnesiacs fucking around with tech you don’t understand.”

“Don’t worry,” Bruce said. “I didn’t give him any of the access codes to the sensitive parts of the lab. He got to look, but not touch.”

“Did he recognize any of his work?”

Bruce shook his head. “I don’t think Clint had any luck taking Bucky through the weapons vault either.”

Steve felt a wave of despair. “I thought familiar sights were supposed to jog their memories, but that’s clearly not working. What if they never get their memories back?”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “We’ve tried literally one thing and you already want to give up because it didn’t work. Come on, Steve. You’re better than that.”

Steve huffed. “I’m not giving up. I’m just concerned. Surely they should remember something by now. But there’s not a single bit of awareness there. When Bucky was under Hydra’s control, he was able-”

Natasha put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure it must be rough, getting Bucky back, only to lose him again. But you didn’t give up on him then, and you’re not going to give up on him now. Do you want to keep sparring to take your mind off things? I’ll take you to the mat all day if it makes you feel better.”

“I let you win,” Steve muttered mutinously.

She quirked an eyebrow. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Tony sidled up to them. “I totally think you two should keep sparring. You’re both hot so therefore the two of you tangling in the ring should be even sexier.”

“There’s not much to see,” Natasha said with a smirk. “I tend to take Steve down pretty quickly.”

“I still think we need to see a demonstration. You know, for science.”

Steve’s chest tightened. It was Tony’s familiar phrase, but there was no sign of understanding in his face.

“I think Steve and I are done for now. If you really want to see some sparring, Friday saves footage from all our matches for training purposes.”

Tony huffed. “But that’s boring.”

“Maybe watching me take down Steve so easily would be boring after awhile. But Bucky and Steve are a more well-matched pair.” Natasha’s expression went sly. “I have it on good authority that their matches get pretty intense. Both of them are breathing hard and sweating buckets by the time someone wins.”

“Oh hell yes,” Tony said delightedly. “That sounds better than porn.”

Steve groaned as Tony scampered off to find Bucky. “Why do you keep encouraging them?”

“Because it’s funny. And it annoys you.” She patted his cheek. “I don’t like seeing you so distraught. Grumpy is a much better look on you.”

Steve sighed and rolled his eyes.

“When their concussions fully heal, we have more options. You can get Bucky into an actual sparring match or let him use some of his weapons. Tony can go through all his notes in the lab or maybe get back into the suit to fly with Friday’s help. SHIELD might even have some programs designed to jog memories. We just have to wait out the rest of the week. So can you keep your angst in check until then?”

“I can try,” Steve allowed.

“Good. In the meantime, try and enjoy the experience. We’ll probably never see them as cute and carefree again. And if nothing else, think about all the blackmail we have on them now.”

He shoved at her playfully. “You’re evil. Don’t you already have enough blackmail on them?”

“It never hurts to have more,” Natasha said with a shrug.

Steve wasn’t really interested in the blackmail angle, but he had to admit Natasha had a point. They would find a way to get their memories back. In the meantime, he just had to look at the positives.

The big one was that Tony and Bucky were no longer fighting. The flirting and sexual tension was a little annoying, but much preferable. He didn’t have to worry about them killing or maiming each other any more.

And their memory loss afforded them a much needed vacation from all their responsibilities. Everyone on the team worked hard and deserved a vacation from time to time, but Bucky and Tony were always especially busy. Tony worked on his armor, repaired and upgraded everyone’s gear, and still somehow found time to keep making products for Stark Industries. Bucky spent most of his time atoning for the damage he had done with Hydra. No matter how many times Steve reminded him it wasn’t his fault, Bucky wanted to be involved on every takedown mission and was constantly working with SHIELD to find other Hydra bases. The two of them were too stubborn to take breaks, but this would force them to stand down and recover.

Steve left the kitchen and paused to peek into the den. If they wanted to watch anything, the den was the place to do it with the big TV.

Sure enough, Bucky and Tony were curled up together on the couch, fast asleep. The TV was on, frozen on a still image of Bucky grinning victoriously, sweat dripping from his forehead. His white tank top was also drenched with sweat and practically plastered against his chest. Steve could see his nipples and the outline of his abs through the flimsy material.

He could see why Tony wanted to watch a match. It made for a pretty steamy image.

If someone was into that sort of thing.

Steve stared at the screen. He couldn’t tell when the footage had been taken. All he knew was that Bucky had won the match, judging from his expression. And Bucky won more than he lost. Like Natasha, he wasn’t afraid to fight dirty. In a fair fight, they were pretty well-matched, but matches with Bucky were hardly ever fair.

Carefully, he lowered the volume and restarted the video.

Onscreen, he watched himself get up from the mat. “That was cheating, Buck,” he complained. “We agreed on fighting without weapons this round.”

“My whole body is a weapon,” Bucky said with a smirk. “And when we’re in the field, you really expect the enemy to fight fair? Better to be prepared for whatever shit they throw at you.”

Steve winced. Oh, he remembered the match now. It reminded him painfully of how hard he had driven Tony in the beginning to learn to fight without his suit, just in case something went wrong in the field. It didn’t feel good to be on the other end of that lecture.

Bucky stirred and blinked up at Steve blearily. “Aw, fuck, it’s over? Damn, it was just getting good. Who won?”

“You did,” Steve said. “But you cheated, it sounds like.”

Bucky shrugged unapologetically. “Makes for a more exciting show. Oh, speaking of show, we should maybe watch you and Tony spar next. Or maybe me and Tony.”

“No,” Steve said with a shudder. “You and Tony don’t spar. The last time…he had on his armor to go against you. You almost killed each other.”

“Huh,” Bucky said. “So we go more balls to the wall than you and I do?”

“You could say that.”

“Hmn.” Bucky stared down at Tony’s peaceful sleeping face. “He doesn’t really strike me as the competitive type.”

“Competitive definitely isn’t the right word. Stubborn, determined, tenacious.”

Bucky nodded. “Glad to hear he’s worked to make his money. Some rich people just have everything handed to them and they don’t do a damn thing to get their hands dirty.”

“Oh, Tony definitely works hard for his money,” Steve said. “It’s good to see him taking a break for a change.”

When the concussion symptoms started wearing off, the two of them probably wouldn’t be as tired all the time and they would stop napping, but with any luck, Tony would still get a full night’s sleep every night. And if they were very lucky, sleeping would start becoming a habit that would carry on even after he got his memories back.

Bucky pressed a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “I can be stubborn too,” he whispered. “I don’t give up on what I want and I want you.”


End file.
